Brook Hill fire: Young dad describes shock as photos and video reveal extent of Sheffield city centre blaze

Several fire crews were called to the three-storey block on Brook Hill, in Broomhall, where the blaze broke out in a stairwell in the early hours of today, Friday, February 25.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue told how firefighters had to rescue 11 people from their flats, some of whom were taken to safety using ladders, after being called at 3.30am.

One resident, Jass Singh, a 35-year-old warehouse worker with a three-month-old baby, expressed his shock.

“We haven’t been in a fire before. It’s a big shock,” he said.

“The woman on the phone asked if everyone was okay, and that if you are not close to the fire, to stay where you are, so we did. She was with us on the phone for around 40 minutes making sure we were okay.”

Jass told how he was able to walk down the stairs once it was safe, but some residents had to be rescued via a ladder.

Walking up the staircase this morning, the smell of burnt wood was still hanging in the air. The carpet was blackened and several steps were missing as they had burnt down and fallen through to the floor below.

Most of the walls in the stairwell were smoky grey, and there were faint, ashy handprints on the white walls which hadn’t been caught in the flames.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said firefighters left the scene at around 5.40am and its investigation into what caused the blaze is ongoing.